A four-year-old child suffering from diarrhea died minutes after receiving an injection at Theinzeik rural hospital in Thaton Township, Mon State, raising concerns among family members about the medication administered.
On March 29, the child from Kalikyun village in the Mogaung village tract, Thaton Township, was taken by their grandmother to a private clinic affiliated with Theinzeik rural hospital.
According to a local resident close to the family, the attending doctor at the clinic referred the child to the rural hospital for an injection. A nurse at the hospital administered the injection, and the child died shortly after leaving the facility.
“We don’t know what medicine was injected, but the grandmother said the child felt unusual after the injection. She trusted that nothing would happen since it was given at the hospital,” said a resident from Kalikyun village.
Before leaving the hospital compound, the child reportedly complained of a burning sensation in the eyes and lips, then lost consciousness and died shortly afterward.
Family members, together with local community leaders, questioned hospital staff about the injection given to the child, but received no clear explanation.
“They just told us we could file a case or sue if we wanted,” the resident said, adding that it remains unclear what action the family will take.
Residents in Theinzeik rely on the rural hospital for healthcare services, but some said they frequently encounter negligence from both clinic staff affiliated with the hospital and hospital personnel.
“We depend on this hospital when we are sick, but doctors don’t pay much attention and often leave everything to nurses. We go there because we don’t know better, but it feels like they handle cases carelessly. We want doctors to take full responsibility,” a Thaton resident said.
According to guidance from Hello Sayarwon, children with severe diarrhea should receive careful treatment under medical supervision at hospitals, as they are at risk of shock, low blood pressure, and death.
The guidance also warns that the use of anti-diarrheal drugs and antibiotics in children can worsen dehydration and pose life-threatening risks if not properly managed.
